Selected quad for the lemma: majesty_n
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A42901
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A sermon of the nativity of our Lord preached before the Queen Dowager in her chappel at Somerset-house on Christmas Day, 1686 / by Thomas Godden.
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Godden, Thomas, 1624-1688.
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1686
(1686)
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Wing G921; ESTC R28640
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15,433
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36
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A SERMON OF The NATIVITY of our LORD Preached before the Queen Dowager IN Her Chappel at SOMERSET-HOUSE On Christmas Day 1686. By Thomas Godden D. D. Preacher in Ordinary to her Majesty Published by Her Majesties Command LONDON Printed by Henry Hills Printer to the King 's Most Excellent Majesty for his Houshold and Chappel 1686. A SERMON Preach'd before her MAJESTY THE Queen Dowager On Christmas day Anno 1686. LUKE 2. 15. Pastores loquebantur ad invicem transeamus usque ad Bethlehem videamus hoc verbum quod factum est quod Dominus ostendit nobis The Shepherds said one to another Let us now go even to Bethlehem and see this word which is made or this thing which is come to pass which our Lord hath made known to us THE fulness of time for the Redemption of Man being come a time when all things were in quiet silence and the Night was in the midst of her swift course the Omnipotent Word of the Eternal Father descended from his Royal Throne and took up his lodging in a Stable of Bethlehem No sooner was he arrived there but he presently dispatched an Angel to carry the news of his Birth to certain Shepherds who were at that time keeping the watches of the night over their Flocks in the Fields adjoyning The Messenger to shew that he was the Minister of the Sun of Justice clothed himself with a glittering Robe of Light and so great was the Brightness which enlightned the place that the Gospel calls it Claritas Dei the Brightness of God and those words of David may be said to have been then literally fulfilled Nox sicut dies illuminabitur that the Night should be as light as the Day The Shepherds terrified as well with the presence of the Angel who stood beside them as with the unusualness of the Light which shone round about them were ready to fall to the ground for fear when the Heavenly Ambassador bid them be of good cheer for that he came not to bring them tidings of dread and terror but of joy and great joy to them and to all People that on this Bright day there was born in Bethlehem the Saviour of the World And that their own experience might further satisfie them of the truth of what he had said he gave them a Sign by which if they would take the pains they might find the New-born Infant Hoc vobis signum This said he shall be to you a Sign you shall find the Infant wrapped in Swadling-clothes and laid in a Manger O King of Glory Is not this the day in which the Angels invite the Daughters of Sion to go forth and behold thee in the Diadem with which thy Virgin-mother Crown'd thee in the day of thy Espousals in her purest Womb And must a Manger be thy Cradle O Treasure of Heaven who would have sought for thee in a little Hay or Straw Who would have thought to have found thee in a Manger of Beasts Surely the Shepherds who were terrified with the Light must have been much more surprized with the seeming disproportion of the Sign had not a multitude of the Heavenly Host presently joyned themselves with the Angel praising God and saying Gloria in altissimis Deo Glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will With this Canticle of Joy the Angels return'd into their former Heaven above and where may we think were the Shepherds Souls but in the new Heaven below in the Stable of Bethlehem and that their Bodies might be there too to pay a double homage to this New-born King Loquebantur ad invicem They said one to another Let us now go even to Bethlehem and see this word which is made which our Lord hath made known unto us And the resolution was no sooner taken but presently put in execution But give me leave devout Shepherds to ask you whither away so fast Were not you keeping the watches of the Night over your Flocks And will you now leave them in the open Fields Are you not afraid that they may go astray in your absence or the Wolves break in and devour them No we are going to find out the Lamb which is come to take away the sins of the world This Lamb will take care both of the Shepherds and the Flocks And should we sustain any loss for his sake it would still be our greater Gain Piously resolved indeed But have you forgotten what hapned of old to another of your Profession when God appearing to him in the Bush he said as you do now I will go and see this great Sight Have you forgotten I say how he was commanded not to draw near but to stand at a distance and put off his Shoes and how he turned away his Face that he might not see And are you not afraid to meet with the same prohibition he did Nothing less The Scene is now changed God in a Burning Bush is an Object of Terror indeed but God in Swadling-clothes and laid in a Manger is so great an Attractive of Love that we fear nothing but to lose time to go to see it They went therefore with haste and being admitted by the Sacred Virgin whose leave no doubt they would ask to see and adore their New-born Saviour the Evangelist says That they returned glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen as it had been said unto them This is the Summ of what is contain'd in the second Gospel of this Great Day What I have made choice of for the Subject of your present Entertainment is the Pious Resolution of the Shepherds to go to Bethlehem That we may enter with like Devotion into the consideration of this Great Mystery and return as they did glorifying and praising God for all we shall hear and see let us instead of asking leave of the Virgin-Mother to visit the Manger humbly beg her Intercession at the Throne of Grace for a Blessing upon my Endeavours saluting her with the words of the Angel Ave Maria. Transeamus usque ad Bethlehem c. The shepherds said one to another Let us now go even to Bethlehem and see this word which is made which our Lord hath shown unto us 'T is the Opinion of St. Cyprian and others of the Fathers that these Shepherds at the same time that the Angel made known unto them the Nativity of the Saviour of the World the so long expected Messias had their understandings illuminated by the Holy Ghost to know and believe that it was He of whom the Prophet Esay had foretold that his name should be called Emmanuel that is God with us and who should verifie those glorious Attributes given him by the same Prophet of Admirabilis Deus Fortis Princeps Pacis that is of Wonderful God Mighty and Prince of Peace Magisterio Spiritus Sancti intus edocti quem Parvulum vident confitentur Immensum And hence it is that whereas